Over the last 20 years, 1 billion taxpayer dollars has been directed towards Kōhanga Reo.

For seven weeks Native Affairs has investigated allegations of financial mismanagement by some at the very top of the Kōhanga Reo movement.

For seven weeks the Kōhanga Reo National Trust has refused to answer our questions about how it’s managing taxpayer money meant for mokopuna.

Not only did it refuse to answer the questions raised by our investigation, it went to the High Court to try and stop us broadcasting our report.

On Wednesday the Trust backed down, but by taking court action, Trust officials were ordered to make sworn statements about the spending. Those affidavits raise serious questions about the use of public funds and they’re contained in our report.

Native Affairs pursued this story because the Kōhanga Reo Movement is recognised as one of the single most powerful forces in reviving te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.

30 years ago, the Kōhanga Reo Movement sowed its first seed at Pukeatua near Wellington. From there language nests spread reigniting our peoples passion to regenerate our native tongue.

Not only did the language nests provide learning, Kōhanga often double as a place of refuge for our tamariki, a place where they can be fed kept warm and nourished.

Last month Native Affairs reported how the Trust has $13mil in the bank while Kōhanga Reo around the country struggle to get by. How the Trust extends personal loans to its staff and directors.

This special report takes us further into the personal expenditure of two people at the top of the Kōhanga Trust and its wholly-owned subsidiary,Te Pātaka Ōhanga.

They are Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi and her daughter in-law, Lynda Tawhiwhirangi.

It details spending never normally seen by anyone outside the Kōhanga elite. The records cover only a 15-month period – it’s a snapshot of what appears to be a culture of extravagance.

Bravo to Maori TV for fine investigative journalism and not allowing legal threats to stop them.

The well financed trust has a self-perpetuating board, with effective life-time appointments. This has no doubt led to a culture of entitlement and a lack of recognition about the boundaries between trust and personal finances.

Two leaders of a state-funded organisation whose objective is to help children learn te reo Maori have been accused of using charity credit cards for personal spending, including on a wedding dress and gifts.

Ministers said last night they would meet the Kohanga Reo National Trust over allegations raised in a Native Affairs investigation into the spending by board member Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi and daughter-in-law Lynda Tawhiwhirangi.

The Maori Television show detailed thousands of dollars of spending, including Lynda Tawhiwhirangi’s purchase of a wedding dress for her daughter in 2011, a Trelise Cooper dress in 2012, and withdrawals that included $1000 for a hui that she did not attend.

The women defended their spending in sworn affidavits as either justified purchases or genuine mistakes.

Lynda Tawhiwhirangi, who is the general manager of the trust’s charity-status subsidiary Te Pataka Ohanga (TPO), said the $1000 koha was still in a safe, and she had repaid the money for the dresses later.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 15th, 2013 at 12:00 pm and is filed under NZ Politics.
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If these allegations re true, this is further justification (ammunition) for enforcing the treatment of everyone as equals – no specific funding for any reason to organisations representing one ethnic group .

It’s been an excellent and troubling series of reports. I think it’s awesome that Māori media aren’t afraid to ask tough questions of programmes and services in Māoridom. Shining a spotlight on this all should help clear up the mess. But the language nests themselves are important–to all New Zealanders.

According to Maori TV they gave them 11 separate chances to put their side of the story before broadcasting- not one of those opportunities was taken up- all Maori TV got was legal threats…. “Smoke=Fire’?- more like a massive blaze seen for miles

Why don’t you commies address the real issue- that is National and Labour’s embrace of separatism, and government cuddling up to the concept of tribalism. Its not only behind this issue its behind so many similar issues.

So called Maoris can have their false race, and their out dated and destructive tribalism, and their “businesses”, and their bogus trusts, and their bullshit TV station, but they should have it without any help from government or the long suffering taxpayer.

Lynda Tawhiwhirangi, who is the general manager of the trust’s charity-status subsidiary Te Pataka Ohanga (TPO), said the $1000 koha was still in a safe, and she had repaid the money for the dresses later.

LOL, that reminds me of when Tuku Morgan got caught rorting the maori Tv on-air clothing allowance to buy up large on $80 pairs of boxer shorts. And then apologised sincerely to the House for getting caught.

Is anybody even remotely surprised?
No doubt they will try to justify it with the usual ‘Pakeha just don’t understand the Maori way’ bullshit…
If the Government had any balls they would immediately cease funding to all these parasitic thieving criminals, bit hey, we all know it will be quickly swept under the carpet and forgotten about…

Māui takes the jaw-bone of his ancestress Muri-ranga-whenua and uses it as a weapon in his first expedition. This is to snare the Sun and make it go slower because the days were too short for people to get their work done. With the help of his brothers, Māui nooses the Sun and beats him severely with the jaw-bone club until the Sun promises to go slower in future.

Moral of this story: Bash people until they agree to do what you want!

Maui & the secret of fire

Māui, finding that fire has been lost on the earth, resolves to find Mahuika the Fire-goddess and learn the secret art of obtaining fire. He visits her but his tricks make her furious and, although he obtains the secret of fire, he barely escapes with his life.

Moral of this story: If someone’s got something you want, just take it!

And this one is quite topical at the moment:

Maui fishes up the North Island

His next exploit is to haul up land from the depth of the ocean—here he again uses the jaw-bone, this time as a fish-hook. Māui, using blood from his nose for bait, hauls the great fish up from the depths. When it emerges from the water Māui goes to find a priest to perform the appropriate ceremonies and prayers, leaving his brothers in charge of the fish. They, however, do not wait for Māui to return but begin to cut up the fish (to grab their share), which immediately begins to writhe in agony, causing it to break up into mountains, cliffs and valleys.

Moral of this story: Every man for himself. Take whatever you can get.